


Get There One Day

by ddtiel



Category: 19天 - Old先 | 19 Days - Old Xian
Genre: Boys Kissing, Fireworks, Fluff, M/M, New Year's Eve, The Scarf Pic Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-23 03:04:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9638162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddtiel/pseuds/ddtiel
Summary: He Tian invites Mo Guan Shan and his two other friends out for New Year's. Texts, food, fireworks and a Red Scarf, that brought them a little closer.Inspired by the wonderful Scarf Pic (thank you Old Xian!) and hopefully not too dull because of it. Set in a timeline where the canon events happened recently, but it's also January.Btw I know basically nothing about the Chinese traditions, so I googled a few things. I hope my ignorance doesn't offend anyone xDMy TianShan Week entry that could fit into Days 1, 2, 3 and 6. (Not sure if that's cheating or not ;p)





	

 

_The Invitation_

 

His phone buzzed on his bed. Again.

Mo Guan Shan made a noise that was more similar to the final gasps of a dying man, rather than of a mildly upset teenager getting ready to go out and ‘have some fun for once’, as He Tian had written approximately twenty messages ago. More texts had come in afterwards, and when his irritation reached its maximum levels, Guan Shan sent one decisive ‘fine ill be there stfu already!’ and started changing from his house sweat pants into something a bit more presentable. But it wasn’t like he was going to try too hard or anything.

That was fifteen minutes ago and the conceited asshole was still bugging him. 

He put on the pair of jeans that weren’t too worn out, then hesitated; it was cold this night and they were going to be standing outside most likely for a while, but wearing the black jacket that was forced upon him, which was strewn carelessly on the end of his bed, would feel like surrendering. He snorted at the innocent piece of clothing and put on a warm, long sleeved shirt, then a tee shirt, then a thin sweater. There, three layers and his independence intact, he grabbed the phone and left his room.

His mom was cozied up under a blanket on the couch in front of the TV and was watching the New Year special, as she had done for the past couple years. She had a steaming mug of cocoa in her hands, and Guan Shan suddenly felt like staying in; anyone could change their mind and He Tian didn’t own him, dammit.

“Oh, you’re going out?” his mom spotted him lingering in the doorway, and it was too late to back down now.

“Er, yeah. Just meeting some, uh, friends,” he said, trying not to show her his expression.

“Tell me that isn’t the only thing you’re wearing. It’s below zero outside. You’ve got to at least wear a jacket.”

Guan Shan moaned inwardly, then retreated back into his room to dig up an old coat he wore two years ago, which now was a little too small for him. The sleeves didn’t even reach his wrists and it was tight around his chest. Feeling defeated, he threw it on the ground, then glared at the hateful jacket. Then he felt another buzz coming from his phone. He swiped the screen to shut his tormentor up, but the message read ‘oh and it’s cold, so you better be wearing my jacket!’ followed by a devil emoji, and he felt his shoulders sag. He stared at the cartoon and imagined what the guy’s face would look like if he drop kicked him next time he saw him. His mind supplied that He Tian would be looking smug, as always, since there was no way he wouldn’t have dodged and returned the favour twofold.

That outcome imagined and now deeply ingrained in his mind, he sighed, then threw on He Tian’s jacket. He zipped it up for good measure, so that his mom would leave him alone. 

It was a coincidence that the guy demanded it. He was going to do it for his mom anyway. Yeah.

“I don’t remember getting you that one,” she hummed when he reemerged from his room. Guan Shan froze, but his mind was scrambling for an excuse, because you didn’t just tell your mother that you got an expensive, brand piece of clothing from a guy friend who also shoved his tongue down your throat and liked to feel you up whenever he could get away with it. And also when he couldn’t. He cleared his throat and unzipped around the neck—was it getting warm in here, or what?

“R-remember the money I got from grandma for my birthday? I bought this in a second-hand store with that cash. Thought it was worth it,” he said, his voice small. The lie tasted sour in his mouth, but it was better than admitting to her a rich guy was quite literally forcing handouts onto him. At least not yet, and not until he was a hundred percent sure they weren’t _just_ charity.

“Oh, that’s great then! I thought you were going to sit on that money until you graduated high school,” his mom chuckled and admired him. “It suits you. Whoever got rid of it had good taste.”

 _Please, mom, no_ , he thought and forced a smile. 

“Ok, so I’ll be going now. I shouldn’t be too long.”

“Have fun, honey. Oh, but,” she hesitated. He paused with his hand on the door handle. She looked uneasy for some reason. He waited for her to get over whatever it was patiently. “It’s not that She Li you’re meeting, right?”

He felt relief, for some reason. 

“Nah, mom. It’s someone else,” he said. _Someone better_ , his brain supplied, but he chased the thought away. “Don’t worry, we’ll just get some food and watch the fireworks. Promise.”

He could tell she felt guilty for asking, so he smiled extra hard for her; he had to force his facial muscles to do it. Like He Tian said a few days ago: he was frowning way too much. He clicked his tongue at himself, then nodded to her and left, bounding down the stairs in a mild jog, feeling slightly better about the outing than he did twenty minutes ago. At least tonight he wasn’t going to be forced to cook and could enjoy someone else’s hard work for once, the company notwithstanding.

 

_The Meetup_

 

He Tian scrolled through his messages for the tenth time in the last ten minutes, his eyes lingering on the two short and prickly answers he’d received to his twenty plus sent. It was really getting out of hand.

He put his phone away and produced his wallet, checking the shiny, new credit card his parents had sent him as their usual New Year’s gift. He felt oddly giddy that this time he was going to spend it on something other than brand clothing and take outs. Well, technically different; they were going to be eating out, not in. Jian Yi had been bugging him to buy them food for weeks now, so this seemed like the ideal opportunity. And an ideal excuse to drag the redhead out of his shell. 

The corners of his mouth twitched. He’d been getting more successful at that lately, but the kid still raised hackles whenever he did something too ‘extreme’. He Tian had laughed when Guan Shan had sent him that statement to shut down his attempt at some dirty talk over texts. Still, the redhead had stopped pretending not to know him and did agree to meet outside of the mandatory cooking sessions, so he couldn’t help but feel a little excited at the prospect of seeing him tonight. Jian Yi would be busy fawning over his Xixi, so he’d be able to… Well, to do something.

Something…

He put the wallet back and, before he could stop his hand, pulled out his phone and swiped to the messages again. He scanned them, then checked the time—yeah, he needed to check it. Right. It was quarter to ten, so his, ah, friends should be arriving any time now. He looked around from his spot under the streetlamp and saw a familiar figure appear around the corner across the street.

“Hey, He Tian!” Speak of the fey-like devil. Jian Yi ran up to him, dragging Zhan Zheng Xi behind him, his neck wrapped up in a puffy red scarf. A quick look to his friend and he felt a pang of annoyance in his gut; the assholes matched! Red jacket and his usual stern expression on, Zheng Xi brushed Jian Yi’s arm off his shoulder and nodded as a hello.

“Well don’t you two birdies look chipper,” He Tian said grinning. 

“I haven’t eaten anything in _hours_ , so you better be taking us to a nice place!” Jian Yi said in a too loud voice. He Tian patted his head and was honestly surprised his hand didn’t get slapped away; Zheng Xi must have been doing something right to the kid.

“Yeah, don’t you worry about a thing. We’re just waiting for _Don’t Close Mountain_ to get his butt into gear.”

“You sure look eager talking about his butt.” Jian Yi nudged him with his elbow.

“Jian Yi,” Zheng Xi said and it was all it took to get the blond’s attention. He Tian rarely had the need to feel jealous, but this was impressive. 

“Oh, there he is! Hey! Over here!” Jian Yi yelled and started waving like a spaz. Across the street Guan Shan stopped in his tracks like a deer in headlights for a second, then scowled and walked up to them with deliberate poise. “Hey, Redhead, glad you could make it.”

“Hey,” was all Guan Shan said gruffly, looking anywhere but at He Tian, and he knew exactly why that was; the redhead did as he was told and had his jacket on. His cheeks were extra red and he was sure it wasn't from the short walk from his place. ”Didn’t think this was a colour coordinated meetup.”

He Tian blinked, then felt his mouth stretching all on its own. This guy. He pulled off his incidentally red scarf and threw it over Guan Shan’s neck. 

“Now you match as well,” he sing songed. Guan Shan’s ears turned the same colour as the scarf and he pushed it back at He Tian. 

“No, thanks. Who said I wanna be a part of this circus?”

“Well, you came, dincha?” Jian Yi hooked his arm around his neck and Guan Shan took a sidestep, bumping right into He Tian. 

“Ugh, whatever. Are we gonna stand around or what?” he muttered. 

“Yeah, are we? I'm starving!” Jian Yi poked He Tian’s chest from over the redhead’s shoulder. He Tian grabbed the offending finger and pulled his entire arm off of Guan Shan and replaced it with his own, all smiles. 

“We're going, don’t panic,” he said, when Jian Yi made a face. Guan Shan tried to shrug him off, but He Tian was determined to collect his fee early, so he leaned on him fully. He earned a growl but then nothing more afterwards. For a scrawny looking kid, the redhead was rather sturdy, just like a bamboo shoot. Only time would tell if he were as flexible, but He Tian was determined to find that out sooner rather than later.

They walked for about fifteen minutes towards the centre and the park, where they would later look for a good spot to observe the fireworks display from, He Tian only half listening to Jian Yi’s chatter. Him and Xixi walked in front and stuck their shoulders together, which was as close as they could get to holding hands in public. He looked down to the redhead, who seemed to have also had noticed, but tried to pretend otherwise. Good; he shouldn't be getting distracted by anyone but He Tian tonight. Not while he had planned to spoil him rotten, or at least as much as he could get away with.

He stopped abruptly, pulling Guan Shan by the neck. Before he could protest, he pushed him through a fancy glass door, then whistled at the pair up ahead. 

”If you two lovebirds want to keep going, I won't stop you, but we're eating here,” he said and motioned towards the restaurant. He could hear Jian Yi’s excited yell as he let the door close behind him and he sauntered towards the podium. The redhead radiated discomfort, as the hostess tried to ask him for a reservation. It made He Tian smile.

“We have a reservation for four at ten, name’s He,” he said, then grabbed Guan Shan by the elbow and followed the hostess to their table in the back of the room, the other two boys right behind them, Jian Yi’s excited squeals like music to his ears. 

 

_The Feast_

 

Guan Shan was speechless.

And not because he wanted to deny He Tian the satisfaction, although he wished that was the case. No, he couldn’t speak because his jaw was still dragging somewhere on the richly carpeted floor of the fanciest looking restaurant he'd ever been to. Heck, even imagined.

The ebony wood and glass decor, together with cream table cloths, grassy green accents and large bamboo shoots growing in between tables made the whole place look way too sophisticated and made him feel totally out of place. 

”You didn't say we were going to a place like this,” Zheng Xi whispered to He Tian what Guan Shan was thinking. “They’re not going to kick us out because of how we’re dressed, are they?”

The smug bastard laughed. “Don’t worry, Xixi, I made sure we could be as comfortable as we want tonight.”

“Don’t call me that.” Zheng Xi muttered.

“Don’t call him that!” Jian Yi hissed and put himself between the two, keeping He Tian at an arm’s length. The asshole just grinned and pushed Guan Shan into a corner booth and got in right after him, trapping him. Jian Yi took a seat right beside him and started peeling his coat off, forcing him to dodge his flailing elbows.

“Here are your menus. Take all the time you need to decide and just give me a call whenever you're ready,” said the waitress. He Tian beamed at her.

“Can we have the big festive set for starters and a coke for me. What are you guys drinking?”

They all gave the waitress their drink orders, then dipped their noses into the menus, when she was gone. Guan Shan blinked hard at the numbers next to the descriptions; he knew this place had to be expensive, but this was…

”Crazy! They want how much for soup!?” Jian Yi yelled, then got promptly smacked by Zheng Xi, who apologised to other guests sitting nearby. 

There was only a few of them; some business suit types treating each other to a fancy dinner, probably to seal some six-figure deal. Then there was a granny wearing pearls and grandpa sporting the type of watch that made you rub your eyes in disbelief at its price, who seemed like the type of people who’d see this restaurant as modest, as well as a few other well dressed groups of people, all content to privately flaunt their status. They were definitely not used to having rowdy teenagers invading their cosy, rich lives, yet here the four of them were, tracksuits and all, and Guan Shan felt just a tiny flicker of vindication, however uncalled for.

“Why not see just how good it is, then? You don't have to worry your pretty head about the bill,” said He Tian. Guan Shan took a peek at him from behind the menu. He was smirking, of course, but it didn’t look like the usual mocking grin, but was more… gentle? Like he was having fun. He was sprawled, taking up more space than was necessary, his knee poking Guan Shan’s thigh, his arm flung over the back of the leather seat. Then he noticed he was being watched and twitched his brow at him, his grin growing stupidly large.

“Having trouble deciding? You can just ask me, you know,” he said.

“I'm fine, just looking for the most expensive thing on the list. Gonna bleed you dry,” he mumbled and was rewarded with the asshole’s rich laugh that sent shivers down his spine.

“Go ahead,” He Tian’s voice buzzed close to his ear and his arm sneaked around his shoulder. He flipped a page over and tapped at a particularly pricey entry. “Get this; you'll like it. Guaranteed.”

Guan Shan shrugged his arm off. “You don't know what I like.”

“Mhm,” was all the asshole said to that, and Guan Shan felt like punching the smirk off his face. But it wasn’t every day he could eat at a place like this, so he decided to save it till later. Maybe.

“O-ho? Do you come here often enough to know the menu that well?” Jian Yi leaned over the table on his elbow. 

“Uncle brings me here whenever he's in town, so about twice a year.”

“I see. Being a rich boy sure must be fun,” the blond sighed, then leaned back and huddled together with Zheng Xi over his menu.

”Yeah, sure must be,” He Tian said quietly, but then stretched again and unzipped his jacket. He was wearing some new cologne and damn him, it was nice, especially compared to the cheap deodorant Guan Shan hastily sprayed himself with before leaving. 

He closed the menu and fanned the air around him away, then realised he was acting weird, so he put it down and waited for the waitress to bring their drinks, so he could place his order and have something to do and take his mind off the dark gaze he could feel piercing the back of his head.

Mercifully, the drinks and the very big platter of party foods arrived, so they all spent the next five minutes ordering their individual meals, Guan Shan going with the one He Tian pointed out and ignoring his satisfied little hum, then stuffing their faces with appetisers. It was quite literal in Jian Yi’s case and Guan Shan was grateful for the distraction he provided, although not even him overreacting to the admittedly delicious catfish was enough to make him ignore the leg that was sticking to his or the elbow that kept bumping into his arm, no matter how far he kept withdrawing it. Or the fact that He Tian kept dropping dumplings on his plate and smacked his chopsticks away when Guan Shan tried to return them.

”Do you mind?” he said, when another one landed on his plate.

“Not at all,” the asshole said, his mouth full and yet still capable of grinning like he ate shit.

”Well I do. You’re spoiling the flavour of my meal. Just leave it be on the platter and, if I want it, I can get it myself.”

“I'm just making sure you try everything. I'm not gonna bring you here anytime soon, so I don’t want to hear you complaining that you didn't make the best of it.”

Guan Shan choked a little. “Me complain? When have I ever? It's you who's fucking moaning when I put too much spices in your food like some damn baby.” He Tian snickered and picked up another dumpling from the platter and hovered it over Guan Shan’s plate. He moved his chopsticks into a defensive position. “I said quit it, damn you!”

A loud cough came from the old folks’ table. The granny was shaking her head at them, which made him feel hot around his collar. He snatched the dumpling from He Tian’s chopsticks and put it on the side of his plate.

“There, happy?” he hissed and then threw a piece of fish into his mouth, chewing it pointedly. 

“Ecstatic,” He Tian answered beaming. Guan Shan growled under his breath and turned away from the annoying mug only to stare right at another one.

“Hmm, haven't you two been friendly lately,” Jian Yi said, the corners of his mouth stretched dangerously wide. “If I didn’t know any better, I'd say you were just having a couple’s fight. Ain't that right, Xixi?”

Zheng Xi threw the two of them a quick glance, then shrugged. “More like children’s. Just like what you do.”

“Aw, I'm so not like He Tian!” Jian Yi tugged at Zheng Xi’s sleeve, which he ignored with the poise and expertise equal to that of a father of a noisy five year old. It was enviable, because it was starting to get really hard for Guan Shan to keep himself from reacting to He Tian’s touchy shenanigans and feely and unnerving gestures of goodwill. At least getting the wind knocked out of him he could brace for and was even starting to anticipate, but the asshole being civil to him?

Okay, so their interactions weren’t mature enough to call friendly just yet. Not that Guan Shan wanted that. All it meant was that it was a step further. But what was at the end of that road? 

The smooth texture and wetness of He Tian’s tongue in his mouth suddenly appeared in his mind and left him slack jawed and staring into space, which he only realised, when he felt a finger poking his cheek.

“You’re meant to chew your food, not wait for it to magically evaporate from your mouth,” He Tian said. Guan Shan swallowed automatically and felt his face heat up. Then he noticed the finger was still resting against his skin and he smacked it away and grunted in reply, trying to ignore the tingling spot, as well as the way his whole body tensed in anticipation. Which was nonsense, because it wasn’t like he was expecting anything. At least anything good.

Yet the uneasy feeling faded quickly enough, and He Tian didn’t bother him much after that. All in all, Guan Shan would come to remember the meal as a begrudgingly fun affair. It was what came after, that would invade his dreams for weeks.

 

_The Main Event_

 

At first He Tian thought it was just his belly being pleasantly full and warm from the excellent food. Then, after an hour had passed, and the pressure around his belt area grew uncomfortable, the feeling still remained, and he realised it had nothing to do with what he was eating, but with whom.

Sure Jian Yi was noisy, Zheng Xi kept accidentally kicking him under the table and the redhead was ignoring him harder than usual, but it was like a New Year’s Eve he could not recall. He would definitely spend more on food than he had ever before, but he felt it’d have been worth it. And maybe money could buy him the venue and the meals, but the three guys he’d brought along to share it with him supplied the atmosphere all for free. 

Still, it was about time they were going, so he called the waitress over and asked for the bill.

“Don’t forget to tip the lady for having to cater to your ugly mugs,” he said, as he placed his credit card inside the ornate bamboo box.

“Aw, I never thought you’d be the type to care about that,” Jian Yi said. He pulled out his wallet, then watched Zheng Xi get out a few notes, and he matched the amount. 

“Of course. What do you think I am? A monster?” 

That Jian Yi didn’t comment on, just smirked at Guan Shan, who dug up a few crumpled notes from his pants’ pocket and flattened them against the table before handing them over. He Tian felt a smile coming up, but he held it in. He put a few more bills in afterwards and sipped on his drink until the waitress made her round trip and returned his card, thanking them all for coming and wishing them a Happy New Year.

They had forty minutes before the fireworks display started, so they headed towards the park at a brisk pace, and not only because they wanted to find a decent spot. 

“Holy crap, it's cold. Can we just go back and watch the fireworks from the inside?” Jian Yi whined. He Tian looked around at him; predictably he was huddled up to Zheng Xi and clutching his arm, his cheeks as red from the cold air as his scarf.

“If Xixi isn’t making you warm enough, why don't you run ahead and find us a good place? You'll be sweating in no time,” He Tian said. Both guys threw him dirty looks.

“That’s mean. I hate running, you know that! And here I thought you were becoming nicer with Redhead around.”

Guan Shan scoffed. “Nicer? _This_ guy?”

To that He Tian wrapped his arm around Guan Shan’s neck and held him hard and close, making him grunt. 

“Nicer to me, is what I meant,” Jian Yi clarified, not a shade of pity for the redhead in his carefree expression. 

“Thanks a lot,” Guan Shan muttered. They kept walking on for a couple minutes, until he must’ve remembered to be his usual stubborn self and shrugged his arm off of his shoulder. “I ain't your human hanger,” he said with a cute huff, then put some space between them. They were right at the park gates and the streets were crowded, so it wasn’t that hard to reach out and pull him back. 

“No, you're my prop,” he said and rested his elbow right under his jaw. Guan Shan rolled his eyes, then knocked it off. They repeated this manoeuvre three times, before it really got tight around them and they were forced to walk in single file. He Tian pushed Guan Shan in front and, with his hands resting totally innocently on his slender hips, used him as a shield-slash-bulldozer.

They inched forward, with Jian Yi gripping his jacket and Zheng Xi covering the rear. Finally they managed to push their way through the crowd and lined up against the stone railing around the pond, where, according to a few of his girl buddies at school, the view was meant to be the best. They probably had told him that hoping he’d invite some of them. It was tough luck for them, but he'd make sure to thank the nice chicks again. 

“Whew, we made it,” Jian Yi sighed, then his supposed fatigue gave way to a burst of Jian Yiness. “Woah! This is awesome! Feels like a fairytale with all the lanterns on the water!”

“What, is this seriously your first time coming here for New Year’s?” Guan Shan leaned forward from He Tian’s left and scowled at Jian Yi on his right. “I used to come here with my family every year till I was like thirteen.”

“Until coming with mommy stopped being cool?” He Tian jabbed without thinking. 

“...No. Until the doctor told her to avoid the cold and the kids I used to hang out with couldn’t be bothered anymore,” Guan Shan said, his voice even. 

“Hm.”

They stood there quietly, engulfed by the drone of the gathered people until Jian Yi suddenly jumped and propped himself on the railing.

“Get down from there, you moron!” Zheng Xi snapped to attention and grabbed hold of his friend’s sides, yet didn’t drag him down. “If you fall in, there’s no way I’m gonna jump in after you. You can go freeze alone!”

“Sure you won’t,” Jian Yi turned to him. He Tian couldn’t see the expression he was making, but he had a good idea. He leaned against Guan Shan’s side and checked the time on his phone; two minutes to go.

“Hey! Is that me in the picture!?” the redhead whisper-shouted and tried to grab at the phone. He Tian clicked the screen off and slipped the device into his back pocket, where he knew it was safe from Guan Shan’s hands, as unfortunate as that fact was.

“It’s the pic of the _food_ you made,” he told him, glad to see the kid flustered. “You just happened to be on the other side of the table when I took it.”

Guan Shan’s perpetual frown deepened and He Tian reached out to smooth it out, his hand hovering in front of his face for a moment. Then he startled, as the crowd around him started counting down, and the redhead snuffled and looked towards the pond. At the collective and deafening shout of ‘Happy New Year’, the fireworks shot out in a sequence of reds, yellows and purples, creating wave after wave of bursts, which reflected on the water surface. But that wasn’t what He Tian was staring at.

The warm glow of the display lit Guan Shan’s face, and for the first time the scowl he was so used to seeing was gone. He looked so peaceful and… happy. It made an incredible heat rise up from He Tian’s belly to the tips of his ears. 

“Hey, come on,” He Tian leaned in and croaked into Guan Shan’s ear, which made him flinch. Good. He pushed the redhead roughly along the railing, smiling at the people who had to move out of the way. He gave Jian Yi and Zheng Xi one fleeting glance, but the two were too absorbed in the display and each other, looking obvious to pretty much anyone who’d bother to look at them.

“Stop pushing, hey! Where are we going?” He could barely hear Guan Shan over the explosions, but his nervous glances back at him and the furrowed brows were indication enough that he was not happy with the situation. Which was fine. That he could work with.

They got out of the tightly packed area, but He Tian kept on going, his fist buried in the folds of his old jacket, dragging Guan Shan behind. There was a large tree a couple meters away, so he led them under the naked branches. He let go of the redhead and slumped against the trunk, admiring his handiwork. Guan Shan was straightening his clothes furiously, but he stayed put. He Tian grinned and relaxed.

“The hell was that about?” Guan Shan said, then snuffled and turned away; He Tian wanted to see his face, but he pulled out a pack of smokes instead and lit one up.

“Didn’t feel like being squished against people.”

“Imagine that.” 

They stayed quiet, Guan Shan watching the fireworks, He Tian smoking and watching Guan Shan. He was doing that a lot lately—at home, when he was cooking him more-than-edible meals, at school, when he’d take him along to one of his many secret spots, and, on rare occasions, out in the open, just like now, when he could only stare for so long, before the redhead became too conscious of it and broke the spell with an angry comment.

He’d blush more often whenever that happened, though, so He Tian grew more confident, that he was getting to him the way he really wanted. Guan Shan still resisted everything that came from him, but he knew breaking his resolve was only a matter of time, and each day he learned of new buttons and the ways to push them.

He let out his last puff of smoke and crushed the cigarette butt under his shoe, then unwrapped his scarf and threw it over the slightly shivering redhead’s neck. He jumped, which was great, then almost stumbled, when He Tian yanked him back.

“Are you fucking stupid!?” Guan Shan hissed, twisting to face him. 

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” He Tian asked. The redhead looked stumped, then his eyes grew large, when he was pulled even closer. “Happy New Year.” He Tian’s lips ghosted over his earlobe, which he immediately covered.

“Y-yeah,” Guan Shan stammered, then looked towards the ground. It was dark, so if he was blushing, He Tian couldn’t see it. But he didn’t need to. 

“That’s it?” he asked, feigning disappointment. “I take you out for a meal, make sure you’re sated and warm”—he tugged on the scarf, making Guan Shan’s head bob towards him—”and that’s all I get?”

“Stop it,” the redhead muttered and yanked the scarf out of his hands and left it to hang around his neck. “You always do this.”

“Do what?”

“This! Force me into something, then expect me to be grateful. It sucks—you suck.”

“Mm? Yet you’re still here,” He Tian said, his voice thicker than he had planned. The only reply he got was a deep sigh, then nothing for a long while. “Hey.” He nudged Guan Shan’s shoe with his. “You know what my family members wished each other for New Year’s, when we used to meet regularly?”

Guan Shan stuffed his hands in his pockets and shook his head; he wasn’t looking at him, but at least he was listening.

“It was always wealth and harmony. Sometimes health, when someone was sick. But these two always. Even when I was five, that’s all I heard and what I was taught to wish back.” He Tian smiled, watching the scowling profile of his... friend, then sighed. “I never wanted either.”

“Typical of a rich kid; you always claim you don’t need or want the money you get given,” Guan Shan scoffed.

“It’s useful, yeah, but it’s boring. Harmony is too. It’s all too well behaved and polite for my taste.” He grabbed the end of the scarf and scratched at the white stripes. Guan Shan finally looked his way, probably to tell him off again, but he stopped dead in his tracks. He Tian was staring right at him and he imagined he looked hungry. He felt that way. “You’ve been feeding me for weeks now; you know what my tastes are like. So, come on, let’s exchange wishes.”

Guan Shan lowered his gaze. But he was still here. He Tian sighed, but it was playful. He knew this game well.

“Ok, I’ll go first. I’m not going to wish you wealth, since I’ve got enough money for the both of us.” That made the redhead groan. Fun. “Next, may your mom’s health improve, so she can come hang out with her son in the park.” An angry look. Warm. “May you smile more, and not just at colourful explosions,” he said in a whisper, while his hand sneaked up to Guan Shan’s face, his thumb stroking the underside of his jaw. He could feel his whole body tense up and radiate heat. Warmer. “And you can say this is cheating, but I wish you stopped running away so much.” That finally got him to look back at him, his brows questioning, but he could see the truth dawning in on him quickly. He swallowed hard. He Tian smiled, stroked his cheek one more time, then withdrew his hand back to the scarf, pretending to smooth it. “There, that’s it for this year.”

Guan Shan clicked his tongue and looked as if he was wrestling with what he wanted to do and say. Running away was probably high up on that list, but He Tian was always ready to follow him suit. Today he hoped he wouldn’t have to.

“Your turn,” he prompted. “Won’t you wish me luck in my chase?” He gripped the scarf. The fireworks were still blasting off without end, the organisers of the event eager to outdo themselves yet again this year. Nobody was looking their way. Even if they were, He Tian didn’t care. And maybe Guan Shan wouldn’t either, just once. He pulled at the scarf gently, leaning his head ever so slightly towards the boy in front of him. He could smell his shampoo and the hot fish breath, and he would remember that combination for many days to come. Just a few more centimetres…

“…” Guan Shan moved his lips, making He Tian pause.

“What?”

The redhead huffed through his nose. “I said, let me decide.”

It was He Tian’s turn to frown. “Decide?”

“You always push me and demand I do everything the way you expect. You’re so impatient and you don’t let me take the time to make my mind up. M-maybe I…” He glowered at him, then his eyes went softer for a moment, glancing at his lips, then slipped away towards the crowd. He Tian’s neck grew hot and his fist clenched around the red fabric. He was ready to pounce, ready to steal again, but Guan Shan wasn’t done talking yet and for once, maybe just tonight, he wanted to hear him out. 

“Maybe what? Tell me.”

Guan Shan swallowed. “Maybe… when I’ve decided, you might be glad you waited.” His eyes landed on his lips again; He Tian licked them and, up close, he could feel the redhead blush. “M-maybe what I want isn’t that far off from what you expect.”

He was parched, and there was a mountain spring right in front of him. He could wait, maybe, but he needed a taste, just a little to get by. He reached for Guan Shan’s elbow, a soft touch, not to hold down, but to test. He didn’t flinch and his breathing was fast but even, his lips stuck together in the middle, but slightly apart in the corners. 

No, there was no way he could hold out any longer.

“C-can I?” he couldn’t hear himself whisper, but the movement of his lips registered in Guan Shan’s vision, and he must have understood it, because, even if the frown was still there, he closed his eyes and raised his head just enough to grant him access.

He Tian wet his lips and leaned in. Guan Shan’s face felt feverish where he brushed the tip of his nose. His mouth was dry already, but it was too close to moisten it again, the corner of the thin, pale lips hypnotising him. Then their lips connected, and it was nothing like their first time. It was nothing like his previous times with others, and then he stopped thinking about any of this, and he let himself drown for a moment, the explosions above him turning into distant hums.

He regained his senses, just as his body broke the kiss, yet refused to move out of the warmth it suddenly craved. He released the breath he didn’t know he was holding, and realised his eyes were shut. He didn’t want to open them; the smell and taste and feel of Guan Shan that lingered in his mind would be too much to handle, if he allowed any more input. But the moment was fading, and he had to do something. He had to—

He had to brace himself, when he felt the hot breath on his lips again, and the soft and dry texture rubbing gently against his skin. He couldn’t help himself and let a moan escape through his nose, then ignored the rush of embarrassment, and kissed back, holding onto Guan Shan for dear life. 

The second one ended and third began without him noticing, until his lower lip got sucked between the other pair and a wet sound snapped him out of his trance. Then cold air hit his face, as if someone threw a snowball at him. He wanted to chase the heat, but it was receding, and Guan Shan turned his back on him, the red scarf hanging between one of his shoulders and He Tian’s hand. He felt the material between his fingers, as if it was the first time he’s touched it; it felt new and strange, but good. So good.

“Ah, fuck me,” he heard Guan Shan between the explosions, as he looked up to the sky, the side of his face purple, then gold, then red. He glanced back at He Tian, then groaned. “Give it. You look like a retard, holding that thing,” he said, his usual irritated tone back in place, as he snatched the scarf out of his hand. He wrapped it around his neck and hid his nose in its folds. 

He Tian blinked. Then he pushed himself off the tree and bumped shoulders with his friend, then was finally good to watch the display; the heat from where their arms connected enough to sate his hunger for the time being.

“Hey, so,” Guan Shan started, then raised his chin above the scarf. “I’m not wishing you wealth, ‘cause you’re stinking rich as it is, or harmony, since you’d probably turn it into chaos like everything you touch in the kitchen.”

“Hey, I’ve improved,” He Tian protested weakly; was it strange that he felt so unsteady and rejuvenated at the same time?

“Sure, you don’t burn water anymore, amazing, well done,” the redhead mocked. “I guess I won’t wish you to improve too much, since I need a job, but I will wish you some will to clean up once in a while.”

“Mm, dream on.”

“Right. And I know by now how much you like conflict, and I bet we’ll butt heads for as long as we live, but…” he gave him a side glance, and… was that a smile!? He raised his gaze right after, blinking at the colourful sky. “May you be patient and trust your friends once in a while.”

“Hah.” He Tian grinned, then after a moment reached around Guan Shan’s lower back and slipped his hand into his far pocket. He felt on top of the world, when he didn’t protest. “Maybe I’d trust Xixi with my homework, and you I already trust not to poison me, but there’s one guy whom I absolutely can’t ever trust with anything.”

“Yeah, true. So trust some of your friends? Two thirds of your friends.”

“Hey, I have more friends than just you three,” He Tian said and caught the redhead in a headlock, ruffling his hair with his chin. “There’s at least five girls who are crazy about me.”

“That’s ‘cause they don’t know you,” Guan Shan gasped, as he wriggled out of the embrace, then pushed him, grinning. 

Holy fuck! His eyes shone brighter than the fireworks. He Tian couldn’t resist and he grabbed his face and kissed him again, then let go, before the redhead had time to react. 

“Don’t push your luck, dammit,” Guan Shan groaned and showed him the finger. He Tian could feel a stupid grin forming on his face, but he couldn’t stop it. He interrupted the offensive gesture and intertwined their fingers, then hid their hands in his jacket pocket. The redhead smacked his arm in retaliation, but let him have his way. 

They stood like that for another ten minutes, He Tian’s nose cold, but his heart on fire, until he saw Jian Yi waving to him in the corner of his eye.

“Your fun time’s over,” Guan Shan said, then tried to withdraw his hand. He Tian shook his head. 

“It’s fine, Jian Yi may be a spaz, but he saw through this a while ago and Xixi won’t care. You can relax.”

“Ugh.”

“Hey, you guys!” Jian Yi shouted as he made his way to the tree, Zheng Xi close on his tail. “Sneaking off like that, who woulda thought.”

“Keep wagging those brows and they’ll fly off,” He Tian told him. The other boy slapped a hand on his forehead. “Anyway, I don’t think you should be complaining.”

Interestingly, it was Zheng Xi who looked more bashful. “You still should’ve said. Jian Yi would’ve been worried.”

“Hah, as if I'd ever be worried about this guy!”

“We’ve got phones, don’t we,” He Tian said and pulled his out, then automatically woke it up to check the time. He heard three gasps.

“Wow, He Tian, didn’t take you for a romantic,” Jian Yi cooed, staring at his background picture.

“Even Jian Yi never did that with me,” Zheng Xi noted, impressed, or perhaps bewildered.

“Well.”

“You didn’t! Get rid of it right now!”

“No way, never!” Jian Yi cried and covered his jean pocket, giving up the location of the phone in the process. Zheng Xi’s attack was swift.

“That’s so a picture of me, not the food. You can’t bullshit out of this one,” Guan Shan said, but added nothing about erasing it. 

“It’s a picture of my favourite thing, and also of something tasty,” He Tian whispered into his ear and could feel the shiver go right through the other boy. Maybe he could be more patient, but he would never stop teasing him.

“Aww, now I need a new background pic,” Jian Yi sighed, when Zheng Xi returned his Zheng Xi-less phone. The fireworks were still glowing in the sky, now with all the colours, since the official part of the display ended, and it was open season for everyone to join in. Then, just as an orange one exploded, Jian Yi gasped. “I know! Group selfie, come on guys!”

“Lame,” Guan Shan moaned, but both He Tian and Jian Yi held him fast, the blond holding onto Zheng Xi with his other hand. 

“No running off. I mean it!”

“Let me take it, since my arms are the longest,” He Tian offered. 

“Mm, perks of having a tall guy around, eh?” Jian Yi waggled his brows at Guan Shan.

“What? Shut up, you’re weird,” the redhead muttered, but there was no ire in it.

They lined up with Jian Yi between Zheng Xi and Guan Shan, and He Tian slightly behind him, pointing the camera at them from above. 

“‘K, now say ‘He Tian’s the best guy in the whole world’.”

All of them scoffed at that in their own ways, as he waited for a particular colour of the explosion to light the sky up. Then he pressed the screen.

“Lesse here! Oh, nice! Good job, He Tian, you’re not too bad at this,” Jian Yi praised him.

“Of course, I am the best in the world.”

The blond rolled his eyes. Then he tapped his phone screen a couple times and turned it for everyone to see the four of them basked in a crimson light. But for He Tian the most important thing was that the redhead wasn’t frowning. 

“Send it to me right now,” he demanded.

“Wow, you actually don’t look like a huge douche in this one,” Guan Shan said at the same time. Jian Yi smirked.

“Oh, and what will I get in return?”

“I’ll let you live,” He Tian said and grabbed the back of the neck and pulled him close. Then he whispered, “I’ll get some candid pics of Xixi for a new background. You can’t refuse.”

Jian Yi’s eyes grew wide. “You’ve got yourself a deal, good sir,” he said triumphantly. 

He Tian let him go and got the picture. On the way home he set the red, soft looking face of Guan Shan as his contact pic, and showed it to him proudly. Then he wrapped his arm around his shoulder, loosely holding the end of the scarf. “You should keep this,” he said suddenly, earning a little shake of the ginger head, but also the tiniest smile to go with it. “Red looks good on you.”

“Shut up,” Guan Shan said, and his whole face turned that colour. He Tian wanted to kiss every millimetre of it, but for now he was going to be patient. 

He’d get there one day. 

And he even might, just might, end up glad he did.

**Author's Note:**

> Started off as a way to break my slump, that happily coincided with TianShan week, so I've decided to post it a little later. Hope you enjoyed and hurray for these two cutie pies.
> 
> Comments and criticisms are very, very welcome!
> 
> EDIT: Had to edit this to fix a few things that pissed me off, but no real changes to the story. This what happens when I don't reread 5 times before posting..
> 
> Link to the TianShan Week tumblr: https://tmblr.co/ZKPU-k2IDr6Ts


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